Process for the production of steel using a locally produced hydrogen as the reducing agent

ABSTRACT

A manufacturing plant and process for producing steel from iron ore, at the iron ore mine, using a locally produced hydrogen as the reducing agent, where the hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis of water, using electricity generated by a wind power generator, thereby producing the cheapest possible reducing agent, on the mine site and producing steel with only oxygen and water vapor as the effluents from the process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a new process for producing steel from ironore using a locally produced hydrogen, produced by electrolysing waterusing electricity from a wind power generator on the mine site, as thereducing agent.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

The production of iron and steel, using carbon in the form of coal orcoke as the reducing agent, has been known for some 2000 years. Theinvention of fluidized bed reactors and rotary ovens in the twentiethcentury it became possible to utilize natural gas and eventuallyhydrogen as the reducing agent. The use of hydrogen was always limitedto locations where a source of inexpensive hydrogen all ready existed.

The steel making industries developed over time at places near thesources of reducing agent, or in other words, at or near the coal mines.

The production of steel using hydrogen produced from the electrolysis ofwater utilizing power from a wind power generator has not been known.

SPECIFICATION The Bristlecone Process for Producing Steel

The herein presented process involves the reduction of iron oreconcentrate, in a rotary oven, using heated hydrogen as the reducingagent, said hydrogen being produced either at the mine site or someother advantageous location and being produced through the electrolysisof water, using power generated by a wind power generator.

Depending on the location of the site and the availability of sufficientwater and wind energy, this process could possibly produce the cheapestreducing agent and the cheapest steel product in the world. Most of thetransportation used prior to end product would be eliminated.

The process first involves the mining and benification of the iron oreto a concentrate grade of from 69 to 73% iron (Fe). The iron oreconcentrate is first stored in water proof silos and later fed to arotary oven as needed.

Wind power generators are then used to produce the electric energyneeded to electrolyze the water into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogenis first cooled and condensed into liquid hydrogen before it is placedinto storage tanks.

The condensing of the hydrogen and storing it in tanks is a necessarystep needed to give an even, constant and continuous process. Due to theinconsistency of wind energy, the steel making process would be unevenand inconsistent and hard to control due to the lack of a consistentsupply of hydrogen. Another option would be the use of commerciallyavailable power during periods of low wind but this would undoubtedly bemore expensive. Commercial power would however be kept available foremergencies.

The hydrogen is bled from the storage tanks, heated to about 1300degrees C. and then fed into the rotary oven to reduce the iron oreconcentrate.

After a processing time of about 2 hours the finished steel product, inthe form of sponge iron is first cooled and then placed in water tightstorage facilities for storage.

The effluents from the process, oxygen and water vapor, are releasedinto the atmosphere after filtration to remove dust particles.

The application presents:

-   -   A process for producing steel in which hydrogen, produced        through the electrolysis of water utilizing electric poser        produced by a wind power generator, as the reducing agent.    -   A process in which the reducing agent (hydrogen) may be produced        at the mine site.    -   A process in which the effluents from the steel making process        are oxygen and water vapor.    -   A process in which the reducing agent (hydrogen) is cooled and        condensed so that it may be stored, thereby giving a potential        for continuos operation in spite of inconsistent winds.    -   A process in which the desired quality of the steel may be        acquired using additives during the smelting and forming stages.

FIG. 1 Illustration of the Bristlecone Steel Making Process

The Bristlecone process presents a new and very economic process forproducing high quality steel from iron ore concentrate using hydrogen asthe reducing agent, said hydrogen being produced on or near the minesite by using electric power produced from a wind power generator, toelectrolyze water to hydrogen and oxygen.

Iron ore (magnetite or hematite or any other typical iron ore) is firstmined (1,1) and then transported to the concentrator (1,2) where it iscleaned and concentrated to a grade of approximately 73% Fe (usingmagnetite). The concentrate is then fed into a rotary oven (1,3) orother applicable oven type, where it is reduced.

Wind power (1,4) is used to electrolyze water in an electrolysis unit(1,5) after which the hydrogen is moved to a cooling and condensing unit(1,6) where it is cooled and condensed for storage, after which it ismoved to a storage tank (1,7).

Hydrogen is taken from the storage tank (1,7) as needed and moved to theheating unit (1,8) where it is heated to about 1300 degrees C., afterwhich it is moved to the rotary oven (1,3) to be used as the reducingagent to produce high grade steel in a sponge iron (sponge steel) form.

The finished product is then cooled in the cooling unit (1,9) and thenplaced in a water proof storage unit (1,10) for storage.

PRIMARY ADVANTAGES

The primary advantages of the Bristlecone Steel Process are:

-   1. It uses very inexpensive wind power to produce a very inexpensive    reducing agent.-   2. The reducing agent may be produced at the mine site, drastically    reducing transportation costs.-   3. The only effluents from the process are oxygen and water vapor.

REFERENCES U.S. Patents

-   U.S. Pat. No. 2,389,133 Brassert, et. al. Nov. 20, 1945-   U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,435 Vesterdal Aug. 16, 1949-   U.S. Pat. No. 2,481,217 Hemminger Sep. 6, 1949-   U.S. Pat. No. 2,671,765 McGrath, et. al. Mar. 9, 1954-   U.S. Pat. No. 2,790,710 Cavanaugh Apr. 30, 1957-   U.S. Pat. No. 2,900,246 Keith, et. al. Aug. 18, 1959-   U.S. Pat. No. 960,441 Thomson June, 1910-   U.S. Pat. No. 1,711,738 Madorsky May, 1929-   U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,622 Madorsky July, 1930-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,733 Columbo, et. al. January, 1971-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,913 Downs November, 1973-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,094 Bergeron, et. al. January, 1976-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,956 Whaley-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,365 Mayer, et. al.-   U.S. Pat. No. 2,752,234 Shipley-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,293 Meissner-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,363 Campbell, et. al.-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,245 Columbo, et. al.-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,193 Viviani, et. al.-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,167,429 Whitman, et. al.-   U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,839 Schytil, et. al.-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,087 Gray-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,659 Volk-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,572 Peras-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,229 Gorling-   U.S. Pat. No. 2,894,831 Old, et. al.-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,244 Hoffert-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,560 Knepper-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,021 Matsuhara, et. al.-   U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,545 Malgarini, et. al.-   U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,465 Hoffert-   U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,103 Prymak

Norwegian Patents

-   304,699 Soyland Jan. 2, 1999-   178,505 Soyland Oct. 4, 1996

1. A process for producing steel in which hydrogen, produced through theelectrolysis of water using electric power produced by a wind powergenerator, as the reducing agent.
 2. A process according to claim 1 inwhich the reducing agent (hydrogen) may be produced at the mine site. 3.A process according to claim 1 in which the only effluents from thesteel making process are oxygen and water vapor.
 4. A process accordingto claim 1 in which the reducing agent (hydrogen) is cooled andcondensed so that it can be stored, thereby giving a potential forcontinuous operation in spite of inconsistent winds.
 5. A processaccording to claim 1 in which the desired quality of the steel may beacquired using additives during the smelting and forming stages. Theprimary product from the Bristlecone Steel Process being what istypically called a stainless melting base.